Bayonet connector



Patented Dec. 9, 1947 BAYONET CONNECTOR James 0. Armor, Bellevue, Pa... assignor to Allis- Chalmers Manufacturine Company, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation oft-Delaware Application March 19, 1943, Serial No. 479,697

9 Claims; 1

This invention relates in general to connectors for joining and disconnecting relatively movable parts of an electrically conductive circuit and relates particularly to connectors ofthe bayonet type.

In prior art bayonet connectors, in which a plurality of spring biased contact segments in the receptacle are radially pressed against a movable bayonet contact, the contact pressure diifers for different positions of the bayonet in the receptacle, and'the radial pressure on the bayonet by each of the contact segments may be unequal. These disadvantages result in uncertain contact pressures between bayonet and receptacle.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide in a bayonet type connector an improved structure avoiding the above disadvantages.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide in a bayonet type connector for substantially equal radial pressure on the-bayonet by all the contact segments of the receptacle.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide for a substantially equal contact pressure on the bayonet independently of the position of the bayonet in the receptacle.

It is a further object of this invention to provide in a bayonet type of connector a contact pressure spring assembly that is self-centering and full floating.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a bayonet type connector with a low cost, rugged contact pressure assembly that is easily adjustable to provide definite and certain contact pressures.

Objects and advantages other than those above set forth will be apparent from the following description when read in co nection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation view of an embodiment of the present invention with the-upper half a section view taken on the line-I-I of Fig. 3;

Fig. 2 is an end view of the embodiment shown in Fig. 1' with the contacts removed;

Fig. 3 is a section view taken on the lineIIIIII of Fig, 1;

Fig. 4 is a bottom view of the embodiment shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a detail view of the left hand pressurearm shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a side view of the pressure arm shown in Fig. 5;.

Fig. 7 is a detail view of the right hand pressure arm shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 8 is a side View ofthe arm shown in Fig. 7; and

Fig. 9 is a detail'view of the tensioning bolt.

The. drawings illustrateinvarious detail a sin-- gloi..ae.mbodiment of the. invention whichsolves the probem of removably connecting conductors 3i and 32 with a definite contact pressure. In Fig. 1, the conductor 3! is shown conductively connected to a bayonet It, the head H of which is curved to make a line to line contact with a plurality of segments l2. These segments l2 are supported in a member l5 and each segment is conductively connected to the member l6 by a pigtail 24.

The member I6 is conductively connected to a contact member l8 in threaded relation, which member I8 is solidly connected to conductor 32. Contact member l8 has an extension 34 thereon which, with the conical extension I! on the mem-- ber l6, forms a support for the insulating casing 2|). Movable switch contacts I?! cooperatewith the flat surfaces of contact member l8. Contacts l9 may be on a grounding switch or serve some similar purpose.

The contact assembly is full floating and is guided by the member I5. Each contact segment l2 has a recess 23 therein which cooperateswith the'bolt 22 threaded into member Hi and utilized to secure the pigtail 24 thereto. The recesses 23 are not threaded. The segments l2 are thus movably positioned within the guidemember 16. Pressure is applied to the segments 12 by means of springs 25 acting through pressure arms [3, l4 and I5 and the studs 2 l..

The pressure arms l3, l4 andl 5, shown in detail in Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8, are. of sufficient widthand depth of section to be rigid. In other words, if the left hand stud 2!, as viewed in Fig. 1, moves a given amount, the right hand'stud 2! will move the same amount. The arms are rigidly hinged by. pins 33. The pressure applied on segments l2 by the studs 2| will be equal and will be independent of the position of the head H. in the receptacle. The studs 2| are mounted in. the arms l3, l4 and l5 and extend through the guide member 15 to cooperate with slightly fiattened surfaces of the segments l2.

The pressure is applied to arms l3, l4 and. I5 by means of springs 25 tensioned by a tensioning'bolt 21. The springs 25 are held supported on the arm it: by means of pins 30 and aresupported on the, bolt 21 by means, of a wing nut 26, more clearly shown in Fig. 4. The bolt 21 has a pin 28 cooperating with a slot 29 in the arm M to hold the bolt 21 in the adjusted position.

Due to the rigid hinging of the arms l3, l4 and I5 and the full floating support'of the pressure assembly, the pressure of any one pair ofstuds 2! on the cooperating segment I2 is sub stantially equal to that of any other pair of studs ill on the corresponding segment l2. This equalization of pressure is enhanced by having thenurnber of pressure arms l3, l4 and I5 equal to the number of segments 12; and further due to the fact that the studs 2| transmit the pressure to the center line of the segments l2.

The present pressure applying mechanism provides a great advantage in that the pressure remains the same independently of whether the connector is vertical or horizontal. The adjustment of the spring can be made in the factory and once made, such adjustment is permanent for given pressure limits. This is a large factor in the cost of the connector, for adjustment in the field after the connector is installed is much more costly.

The spring is easily adjustable and only a single adjustment is necessary to change the pressure on all segments. The pressure of the segments l2 on the ball H of the bayonet is substantially the same independently of the distance that the bayonet is inserted in the receptacle, for the distance between studs 2| on any one arm is substantially as great as the operative length of the receptacle.

Although but one embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

It is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a bayonet type electrical connector, a bayonet contact, a plurality of contact segments of electrical conductive material surrounding said bayonet, a guide member surroundingly supporting and positioning said contact segments, and means for applying pressure to each of said segments through apertures in said guide member.

2. In combination, a plurality of contact segments, a contact movable relative to said segments and cooperable to make substantially a line to line electrical contact with each of said segments, a guiding and supporting member surrounding said contact segments, and means operative through apertures in said member for applying a substantially constant pressure between said segments and said contact independently of the position of said contact in said segments.

3. In combination, a bayonet type contact, a receptacle for said contact comprising a plurality of contact segments surrounding said contact, a guiding and supporting member surrounding said contact segments, and means for applying a substantially constant pressure between said segments and said contact independently of the position of said contact in said segments, said means comprising a plurality of hinged arms positioned externally of said supporting member and in force applying relation to said segments.

4. In combination, a bayonet type contact, a receptacle for said contact comprising a plurality of contact segments surrounding said contact, a member for supporting said contact segments, and means for applying a substantially equal pressure between each of said segments and said con tact, said means comprising a plurality of hinged arms forming an assembly positioned externally of and surrounding said supporting member and in force transmitting relation to said segments and said means further comprising means for applying a pressure to said arms at one junction thereof in said assembly.

5. In combination, a bayonet type contact, a receptacle for said contact comprising a plurality of contact segments surrounding said contact, a member for supporting said contact segment and means for applying a substantially equal pressure between each of said segments and said contact, said means comprising a plurality of hinged arms positioned externally of said supporting member, said means further comprising a plurality of pressure transmitting members on said arms extending through apertures in said supporting member in force applying relation to said segments.

6. In combination, a bayonet type contact, a. receptacle for said contact comprising a plurality of contact segments surrounding said contact, a member for supporting said contact segments, and means for applying a substantially equal pressure between each of said segments and said contact, said means comprising a plurality of hinged arms positioned externally of said supporting member, said means further comprising a plurality of pressure transmitting members on said arms extending through apertures in said supporting member and bearing in force applying relation substantially on the center line of said segments.

7. In combination, a bayonet type contact, a receptacle for said contact comprising a plurality of contact segments surrounding said contact, a member for supporting said contact segments, means for applying a substantially equal pressure between each of said segments and said contact, said means comprising a plurality of hinged arms forming an assembl positioned externally of said supporting member, said means further comprising means for applying a pressure to said arms at one junction thereof in said assembly, and means comprising a single adjusting member for adjusting said contact pressure.

8. In combination, a bayonet type contact, a receptacle for said contact comprising a plurality of contact segments surrounding said contact, a member for supporting said contact segments, and means for applying a substantially equal pressure between each of said segments and said contact, said means comprising hinged arms positioned externally of said supporting member and in force applying relation to said segments, the number of said arms being equal to the number of said segments.

9. In combination, a bayonet type contact, a receptacle adapted to receive said contact in substantially line to line contact comprising a plurality of contact segments, a member for supporting said contact segments, and means for applying a substantially constant pressure between said bayonet and said segments independently of the extent of said bayonet in said receptacle, said means comprising rigidly hinged arms positioned externally of said supporting member and said means further comprising a plurality of pressure transmitting members on each of said arms extending through said supporting member to bear in force applying relation substantially on the center line of one of said segments.

JAMES C. ARMOR.

REFERENCE S CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

